University of Nevada, Las Vegas Faculty Senate Constitution Revised January 2009

Transcription

1 University of Nevada, Las Vegas Faculty Senate Constitution Revised January 2009 Section 1. Authority The authority, purpose, and objectives of the Faculty Senate are established within the traditional concept of faculty organization in American Universities, and shall be as defined in Section of the Nevada System of Higher Education Code and Chapter I, Section 4, of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Bylaws. The Faculty Senate is authorized to act on questions and issues properly brought before it by the faculty of the several colleges, schools, and components of the university. The Faculty Senate is authorized to take appropriate actions not in conflict with these bylaws; the Bylaws of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; the Nevada System of Higher Education Code; and the laws and the statutes of the State of Nevada and the United States. Section 2. Membership All academic faculty and professional staff who hold at least a fifty percent professional contract with the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, as defined in Title 4, Chapter 3 of the Board of Regents Handbook, are eligible to serve on the Faculty Senate and its standing committees. Executive faculty as defined in the Board of Regents Handbook Title 2, Section 1.6.1; Title 4, Section 2, 1.C.1; and Title 5, Section 4.1.4, shall not be eligible to hold membership in the Faculty Senate. These faculty members include the President, the Executive Vice President and Provost, Vice Provosts, Associate Provosts, Assistant Provosts, Vice Presidents, Associate Vice Presidents, Assistant Vice Presidents, Deans, Associate Deans, Assistant Deans, Directors -- where equivalent to Academic Deans, and Department Chairs. Section 3. Faculty Senate Components a) For the purpose of conducting elections of senators, the faculty of UNLV is divided into the following units: 3.1 Business, College of 3.2 Education, College of 3.3 Engineering, Howard R. Hughes College of 3.4 Fine Arts, College of 3.5 Health Sciences, Division of 3.6 Hotel Administration, William F. Harrah College of 3.7 Law, William S. Boyd School of 3.8 Liberal Arts, College of 3.9 Libraries, University 3.10 Professional Staff Unit 3.11 Sciences, College of

2 Page Urban Affairs, Greenspun College of b) Academic faculty members of the Marjorie Barrick Museum of Natural History or the Division of Student Life shall be considered to be a member of the unit (3.1 to 3.13) that is most closely associated with their duties. Section 4. Faculty Senate Representation 4.1 Each unit, 3.1 through 3.13 shall have one representative for each thirty faculty or fraction thereof, to be elected by the members of the unit from among its eligible members. The Professional Staff unit shall have one representative from each of the following areas: (1) President, University and Community Relations and Development; (2) Athletics and the Thomas and Mack Center; (3) Research and Graduate College; (4) Finance; (5) Student Life; (6) Administration; and (7) two representatives from the Provost area for a at total of eight representatives to be elected by the members of each unit from among its eligible members. 4.2 Each fall the Faculty Senate Chair will conduct an annual census of the faculty to determine the correct number of representatives allowed to serve on the Faculty Senate. The Chair will notify each college or unit of any elections that need to be held as a result of the census. 4.3 Executive and administrative faculty are represented on the Faculty Senate through their respective units. These faculty members are eligible to vote in the election of the Faculty Senate nominee(s) from their unit. 4.4 Three Faculty Senate seats shall be designated "At-Large." Each at-large seat is to be filled by an eligible member of the faculty who is successful in an election conducted by the Faculty Senate Executive Committee in which all persons on professional contract are eligible to vote. 4.5 Each unit shall have one senator designated as the "Senior Senator." The senior senator is defined as the person with the least time remaining in a current three-year term. If there is more than one such person in a particular unit, the senators in question will draw lots to determine seniority. The role of senior senator is described in Appendix 2 of the Faculty Senate Bylaws. Section 5. Term of Office 5.1 The term of office for each senator shall be for three years unless the majority of the unit s faculty vote to elect a senator to a reduced term to replace a resigning senator or to stagger the terms of the unit s senators.

3 Page 3 Section 6. Elections 6.1 All senators shall be elected by secret ballot unless an alternative process is defined in college or unit bylaws. Elections shall be conducted by a person or persons acceptable to a majority of the electing unit s eligible voters (preferably the unit's senior senator). 6.2 Absent extraordinary circumstances, faculty shall have no less than five working days to nominate following the call for nominations, and no less than five working days to vote after nominations have closed and been announced. 6.3 Each electing unit shall determine the number of consecutive terms for which its members are eligible, except that there shall be a limit of two consecutive full terms to which an "At-Large" member may be elected At-large elections of senators shall be regulated and conducted by the Executive Committee These senators shall be elected to staggered terms so at least one at-large seat is up for election each year. Section 7. Officers of the Faculty Senate 7.1 Members of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee shall be the Chair of the Faculty Senate, Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate, Secretary of the Faculty Senate, two members of the Faculty Senate elected At-Large from the Faculty Senate membership, and one member from the Professional Staff. All nominees must be current members of the Faculty Senate and members of the Faculty Senate during the time of their service on the Executive Committee, except for the Chair and the Vice Chair who can be elected just as their terms are ending. The Past Chair of the Faculty Senate will serve as an ex-officio member to the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and to the Faculty Senate. 7.2 The person elected Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate shall serve one year as Chair and one year as Past Chair. 7.3 The person elected Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate shall relinquish his or her seat on the Faculty Senate. A special election to fill the vacant Faculty Senate seat shall be conducted in accordance with the bylaws of the unit from which the Vice Chair is elected. 7.4 The Vice Chair of the Faculty Senate will have voting privileges as a member of the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and shall not have Faculty Senate voting privileges. The Chair of the Faculty Senate shall vote only to break a tie. The Past Chair of the Faculty Senate will have no voting privileges. 7.5 Persons eligible for the offices of Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary of the Faculty Senate, shall be those faculty members defined as academic faculty in Title 4, Chapter 3 of the Board of Regents Handbook. Persons eligible for the offices of Chair and Vice Chair of

4 Page 4 the Faculty Senate also must previously have been granted tenure in their respective academic colleges. Section 8. Standing Committees of the Faculty Senate 8.1 Unless changed in a manner consistent with the Bylaws of the Faculty Senate, the following standing committees shall be maintained: Academic Freedom and Ethics; Academic Standards; Admissions; Campus Affairs; Curriculum; Faculty Development Leave; Faculty Extraordinary Expense Fund; Fiscal Affairs; General Education; Grievance; Professional Staff; Program Review; Sabbatical Leave; Scholarship; Special Hearing; and Tenure and Promotion. 8.2 Representation on committees shall be determined by the Faculty Senate. Section 9. Amendment to the Constitution 9.1 An amendment to the Faculty Senate Constitution may be proposed by twenty percent of the faculty, or by a majority vote of the Faculty Senate Either of the above recommendations for an amendment to the Faculty Senate Constitution shall be submitted to a vote by the faculty. Faculty acceptance of the proposed amendment requires the approval of two-thirds of those voting. Revised January 2009

5 Page 5 University of Nevada, Las Vegas Faculty Senate Bylaws Revised December 2011 Section 0.0 Preamble 0.1 The intent of these bylaws is to facilitate the business (NSHE Code Section ) of the Faculty Senate. (Hereafter referred to as the Senate.) This document consists of procedures designed to supplement those outlined in the NSHE Code and the University of Nevada Las Vegas Bylaws. 0.2 The Bylaws of the Senate shall be in accord at all times with the provisions of the division bylaws and the Nevada System of Higher Education Code. 0.3 In cases of doubt as to proper procedure and when not superseded by either the NSHE Code or division bylaws, the parliamentary authority of the Senate shall be the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order. Section 1.0 Article 1: Membership If a unit senator becomes unable to serve, a replacement shall be elected to serve by the unit affected according to the procedures contained in the Constitution and such bylaws as shall be enacted. This section shall also apply to committee membership If an at-large senator becomes unable to serve, the person finishing second in the most recent election for an at-large seat shall be appointed to fill the remainder of the unexpired term. In the event that person is unable or unwilling to serve, a special election will be held as expeditiously as possible. 1.2 A member of the Senate who is unable to attend a single meeting may designate a proxy for that meeting. An individual may only hold one proxy per meeting. All proxies must present to the Secretary to the Senate a written authorization signed by the designating member. A proxy must be qualified for membership in the Senate from the same unit as the designating member, except for at-large members A long term proxy is defined as one in which a senator anticipates being unavailable for four or more consecutive meetings but intends to return prior to the expiration of the year. Long term proxies are limited to one year In the absence of unit bylaws or regulations stipulating the selection of long term proxies, the following will be used: a) If the unit delegation includes two or more senators, the delegation shall designate the proxy. If the delegation contains only one senator, that unit shall conduct a special election to select a long term proxy.

6 Page 6 b) In the case of at-large senators, the Senate Executive Committee shall designate a long term proxy with input from the senator requesting the proxy and special consideration given to the results of the most recent at-large election. c) Any senator may request the designation of a long term proxy so long as the time during which the senator will be unavailable does not extend beyond one year and that a definite date of return is indicated on the written notice to the Secretary to the Senate. d) Any senate office must be resigned by the senator requesting a long term proxy. 1.3 At the end of each semester the Secretary to the Senate shall report the attendance record of each senator. 1.4 A senator who is absent from more than two regularly scheduled Senate meetings per year without a proxy shall be automatically dismissed from service on the Senate. At that time, the number required for quorum shall be reduced accordingly. The Senate Chair will then take action to see that a replacement from the same unit is named to fill the vacancy. Section 2.0 Article 2: Election of Officers 2.1 The Vice Chair from the current Senate shall automatically assume the chairship of the new Senate on 1 June, or upon a vacancy in the chair for any reason. In the event a vice-chair becomes chair due to a vacancy rather than the ordinary rotation of office, the length of terms of office may be modified by a majority vote of the Senate. In order to qualify for election to the vice chairship, the faculty member must be tenured. (12/11) 2.2 A list of candidates for all other offices shall be distributed by mail at least three full working days in advance of the last regular meeting of the current Senate in the spring semester. Officers shall be elected as the first item of business at the last regular meeting of the current Senate in the spring semester. In the case of a vacancy on the Executive Committee, other than in the chair, a special election shall be organized for the next possible Senate meeting after the standard period for nominations and for publication of candidates has been met. All eligibility requirements of a regular election shall still apply. (12/11) 2.3 Terms of office for officers shall run from 1 June to 31 May of the following year. June 1 of each year shall mark the end of the past year s Senate and the beginning of the new Senate. From the final regularly scheduled meeting of the spring semester through 31 May, the vice-chair shall be considered the chair-elect and shall accompany the outgoing chair at all substantive meetings, including NSHE Council of Chairs meetings. (12/11) 2.4 Members of the Executive Committee may not appoint proxies to Executive Committee meetings. Written votes may be submitted in absentia. Section 3.0 Article 3: Meetings, Agenda, Minutes, and Quorum 3.1 Meetings: The Senate shall hold meetings at least once each month during the fall and spring semesters. The date, time, and place of each of these meetings shall be made known

7 Page 7 to each senator and all members of the faculty at least three full working days in advance of the meeting The Senate may hold special meetings at any time, called by the Chair of the Senate or requested of the Chair by petition of at least one-third of the senators. These meetings shall be publicized in the same manner prescribed for regular meetings in Article Meetings during the summer shall be called by the Executive Committee as necessary. 3.2 Agenda: The Executive Committee shall prepare an agenda which shall allow for the introduction of new business at each meeting and which shall accompany notification of the meeting. The Senate must include on the agenda any resolution directed to it by the faculty or any units thereof not later than the first regular meeting following the receipt of such resolution by the Chair of the Senate. Recommended Senate meeting agenda format: announcements; action items; guest speakers; future action items-meeting (date); general information; committee reports; new business All action oriented items presented for inclusion on the Senate agenda must be submitted according to the guidelines designated by Appendix 1 of the Senate Bylaws. 3.3 Minutes: A copy of the minutes of each Senate meeting shall be distributed to each member of the Senate and the faculty, and a copy placed in the Library of the UNLV. Copies shall be sent to the Senate Chair at the UNR, and to the NSHE Chancellor. 3.4 Quorum: A majority of the voting members of the Senate shall constitute a quorum. Single meeting proxies may not be counted in determining a quorum. Section 4.0 Article 4: Voting 4.1 The Senate may solicit campus opinion on an issue through a campus ballot. 4.2 By vote of a simple majority, the Senate may sanction a referendum to be submitted to all or any part of the faculty, the result of which shall be binding on the Senate. (If it is not specified which group of faculty it would be referred to the entire faculty.) This referendum shall be accompanied by an adequate summation of arguments pro and con related to the issue(s) involved in the referendum. Any referendum sent forward for vote without the summation will be declared null and void. 4.3 All motions will require a simple majority of those voting members present, except as specified in Articles 8 and 9. Motions to close or limit debate or to move to the previous question shall require a two-thirds majority vote. 4.4 Any action approved by the Senate and forwarded through administrative channels shall be assumed to be accepted by the administration unless written explanation of its lack of implementation has been received by the Senate Office within fifteen days after the date of

8 Page 8 approval. The Chair will report the fate of such actions at the earliest subsequent meeting after the fifteen days stated above. 4.5 At the request of any party, when two or more recommending groups disagree on an issue, an Issue Group will be formed to attempt to mediate a joint stand. Each such group shall appoint an equal number of participants including administrators. If no consensus is reached, the Issue Group shall develop a joint statement of the differences. All recommendations of the Issue Group will be returned to the original recommending bodies and then forwarded to the next level of decision making. Section 5.0 Article 5: Committees 5.1 Unless changed in a manner consistent with the Senate Bylaws or Constitution of the Faculty Senate, the following committees, composed of the following membership, shall be maintained: Academic Freedom and Ethics 1 Tenured academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Tenured Librarian 1 Professional staff member Academic Standards 1 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 2 Undergraduate students 1 Graduate student 1 Dean, Graduate College or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Director, Academic Enrichment & Outreach or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Director, Student Enrollment/Financial Services or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Executive Director Academic Advising (ex-officio, non-voting) Admissions 1 Academic faculty from each undergraduate degree granting college and school 1 Director, Academic Enrichment & Outreach or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Director, Undergraduate Recruitment or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Dean, Academic Success Center or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Director, Student Athlete Academic Services or designee (ex-officio, non voting) Campus Affairs 1 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Librarian 2 Professional Staff members 1 Undergraduate student (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Graduate student (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Administrator chosen by the President (ex-officio, non-voting)

9 Page 9 Curriculum 1 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Librarian 2 Undergraduate students 1 Professional Staff member 1 Director, Reprographics-Design Services or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Director, Student Enrollment/Financial Services or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) Faculty Development Leave 1 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Librarian Faculty Extraordinary Expense Fund 7 Members of the Executive Committee of the Senate Faculty Senate Graduate Curriculum Liaison Committee 1 Academic faculty with graduate faculty standing from each degree-granting college and school who are not already serving as graduate coordinators. 1 Chair of the Graduate Council Faculty Senate Graduate Programs Liaison Committee 1 Faculty Senate Representative, Graduate College Assessment Committee 1 Faculty Senate Representative, Graduate College Professional Development 1 Faculty Senate Representative, Graduate College New Program Evaluation 1 Faculty Senate Representative, Graduate College Curriculum Committee 1 Faculty Senate Representative, Graduate College Program Review 1 Faculty Senate Representative, Graduate College Faculty and Student Issues 1 Faculty Senate Representative, Graduate College Graduate Student Funding 1 Graduate Council President Fiscal Affairs 1 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Librarian 2 Professional Staff members 1 Undergraduate student (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Graduate student (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Administrator chosen by the President (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Associate Vice President for Human Resources or designate (ex-officio, non-voting) General Education 1 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Undergraduate student 1 Director, Student Enrollment/Financial Services or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) Grievance 4 Tenured academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 4 Tenured librarians

10 Page Professional Staff members 2 Administrative representatives 2 Alternate Administrative representatives (a) The following professional staff units will have three representatives each on the committee: Administration; Finance; President; Provost; Student Life; and University and Community Relations. Professional Staff a) Each professional staff unit will have one representative on the committee for every fifty professional staff positions in the unit or fraction thereof. Administration Finance President Executive Vice President and Provost Student Life University and Community Relations Director, Human Resources or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) Professional Staff Senators (ex-officio, non-voting) b) Professional Staff members elected to at-large seats on the Senate will also serve as ex-officio, non-voting members. Program Review 3 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 3 Librarians 1 Executive Vice President and Provost or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Dean, Graduate College or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) Sabbatical Leave 1 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Librarian Scholarship 1 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Librarian 1 Professional Staff member 2 Undergraduate students 1 Dean, Honors College or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Director, Academic Enrichment & Outreach or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Director, Student Enrollment/Financial Services or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Director, Undergraduate Recruitment or designee (ex-officio, non-voting) Special Hearing a) A faculty hearing panel, composed of at least thirty-five faculty members, shall be selected by the Senate. Both academic faculty and administrative faculty (excluding chairs, directors, assistant and associate deans, deans, and other executive faculty) shall be eligible

11 Page 11 to serve. The selected pool shall include at least twenty tenured faculty, of which at least ten members shall be at full professor rank. Committee members shall be selected from a pool of at least two individuals from each college, library, professional staff, and the administration. The members of the faculty hearing panel shall serve one year terms, and upon agreeing, shall commit themselves in writing to serve on a Special Hearing Committee when needed. Tenure and Promotion 1 Tenured academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Tenured alternate academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Tenured librarian 1 Tenured alternate librarian 1 Vice Chair of the Senate (ex-officio, non-voting) 1 Immediate Past Chair of the Senate (ex-officio, non-voting) a) An alternate committee member shall be elected from each unit to serve in the event the committee member is on leave or in cases of conflict of interest. Alternates shall attend in place of the principal member only when the principal member is on leave or in case of conflict of interest. b) The Immediate Past Chair of the Senate shall serve as the chair of the Tenure and Promotion committee for one year. University Bylaw Committee (3/10) 4 Faculty Senate Representatives elected from the Faculty Senate 1 Academic faculty from each degree granting college and school 1 Librarian 1 Representative from the Professional Staff Unit 1 Vice President and General Counsel (non-voting ex-officio) 5.2 If a college/school has 10 or fewer full-time faculty members, the Dean may appoint (or the college/school may elect) in accordance with the unit bylaws and Senate Bylaws, a full-time professional staff member, in lieu of a faculty member, to represent the unit on Faculty Senate committees, with full membership and voting rights. 5.3 Whenever members of a standing committee deem it appropriate they shall consult with members of the division within the NSHE and they shall make themselves aware of the positions taken by other divisions of the NSHE on matters within their jurisdiction. 5.4 Faculty and professional staff members of each standing committee shall be nominated and elected by their respective units according to the unit bylaws. 5.5 The student members of each standing committee shall be selected in any democratic manner directed by the student government.

12 Page After committee membership has been determined, the Executive Committee shall appoint a chair subject to the approval of the committee. The chair of the Tenure and Promotion committee shall be the Immediate Past Chair of the Senate Senate standing and ad hoc committee chairs will present a report of their committee's activities to the Senate at least once a semester. The Executive Committee shall determine the rotational schedule for the committee reports The committee chairs will be responsible for maintaining minutes for each committee meeting and filing those minutes in a timely fashion with the Senate Office The Chair of the Faculty Senate, in consultation with the Executive Committee, may appoint committee members to fill vacant seats from any college or unit. If a college or unit has not filled its seat by 3 (three) weeks following the first day of classes of that college's or unit's Fall semester, the Chair of the Faculty Senate shall appoint an eligible person from the college/unit area to serve as a committee member during that academic year. The Chair shall make the appointment in consultation with the Executive Committee and with the Senior Senator of the college or unit that employs the appointee. 5.7 Should the membership of any committee not include a senator, a senator will be appointed to the committee in an ex-officio, non-voting capacity. 5.8 All standing committee assignments shall be for two-year terms, except for Grievance; Professional Staff Committee; and Program Review Committee, which will be three-year terms, and Special Hearing Committee, which will be one-year terms For purposes of committee assignments the year begins at the beginning of the fall semester When appropriate, committees shall meet during the summer months A matter within the jurisdiction of any standing committee must be submitted to that committee by the Chair of the Senate The Chair shall allow the committee no more than 60 (sixty) days in which to respond to matters so submitted and shall inform the Senate of the Chair's directions to the committee and the 60 day time period allowed for committee action. This provision shall not restrict the Chair from setting deadlines of shorter periods. (4/11) In the event a committee does not recommend action upon any matter so submitted within 60 days or less, said matter may be brought directly to the floor of the Senate for disposition by any senator. (4/11) 5.11 The timely recommendations of a standing committee upon any matter within its jurisdiction shall be accepted and implemented upon a vote of a majority of the voting senators present.

13 Page No provision contained herein shall be interpreted as restricting the Chair of the Senate, with the concurrence of the Executive Committee, from forming ad hoc committees to consider questions not clearly within the jurisdiction of any standing committee, or restricting a standing committee from forming subcommittees All standing and ad hoc committee reports will be distributed electronically with the Senate minutes At the end of each semester the chair of each Senate Committee shall submit to the Secretary to the Senate the attendance record of each committee member Quorum of Senate Committees will be at least fifty percent of the voting members of the committee. Units that have not elected members will not count against the quorum. Committee members shall follow the same procedures as do Senate members in delegating proxies. Proxies may not be appointed to the Academic Freedom and Ethics Committee; Academic Standards Committee; Executive Committee; Grievance Committee; or Tenure and Promotion Committee If members of any standing or ad hoc committee or a Senate Representative on any other committee(s) are absent from more than two committee meetings per year without a proxy, they shall be automatically dismissed from service on that committee. At that time the number required for a quorum shall be reduced accordingly. The chair of the committee shall advise the Senate Chair of the dismissal so the Senate Chair can take action depending on the composition of the committee to see that an appropriate replacement for the dismissed member can be obtained. When it is deemed appropriate and necessary by the Executive Committee of the Senate, the replacement shall be from the same unit the dismissed person represented Reassigned time (one three credit course reassigned per semester) shall be granted on the approval of the Executive Vice President and Provost upon the recommendation of the College Dean and Department Chair for the Chairs of the following Senate Standing Committees: Academic Standards; Admissions; Campus Affairs; Curriculum; Fiscal Affairs; General Education; and Program Review Reassigned time (one three credit course reassigned per semester) shall be granted on the approval of the Executive Vice President and Provost upon the recommendation of the College Dean and Department Chair to the Vice Chair of the Senate Reassigned time (two three credit course reassigned per semester) shall be granted on the approval of the Executive Vice President and Provost upon the recommendation of the College Dean and Department Chair to the Chair of the Senate Faculty members currently serving on the Faculty Development Leave Committee, the Sabbatical Leave Committee, or the Tenure and Promotion Committee, are ineligible to

14 Page 14 submit an application for tenure and/or promotion, or for a leave, to their respective committee A faculty member may not serve simultaneously on the Grievance Committee and Tenure and Promotion Committee Senate Committees may form subcommittees to complete their charges. With the advice and consent of the Senate Chair, subcommittees may include ex-officio, non-voting members, who bring special expertise to the issue under consideration. Elected committee members must form the majority of the membership of any subcommittee. Any recommendation of a subcommittee must receive a majority vote of the whole committee before it is forwarded to the Senate for action Use of audio or video recording equipment or cellular telephones is prohibited during closed personnel sessions of Senate Committee meetings. Section 6.0 Article 6: Functions of Standing Committees 6.1 The Academic Freedom and Ethics Committee shall investigate complaints of violations of academic freedom. The committee shall also consider only a question of ethical conduct of a member of the academic faculty or professional staff (in pursuit of the duties prescribed to him or her by the NSHE Code) or violations of academic freedom as defined in the Code, that is sent by the Executive Committee of the Senate or the Senate itself to the committee. The committee shall decide whether a matter should be considered by this committee or referred to another body. On matters the committee agrees to examine, information shall be sought for both sides of the question, a judgment shall be made and minority reports are possible. There shall be no enforcement or legal sanction of judgments made by the committee; however the committee shall express its judgments in whatever form seems appropriate. In any case, all judgments shall be reported directly to the Executive Committee of the Senate and to no other group or person. The Executive Committee of the Senate shall then take any appropriate actions, which may include a report to the Senate. Members of the committee may not appoint proxies The committee shall report annually back to the Senate on the number and type of cases considered and action taken on each case with no mention of names. 6.2 The Academic Standards Committee shall periodically review policy, recommending revisions in current academic policy whenever desirable. It shall also be responsible for the following undergraduate areas Reviewing applications for readmission for students on scholastic suspension Reviewing applications for the removal of a semester of "F" grades incurred due to improper withdrawal Reviewing petitions referred to the committee.

15 Page Monitoring policy changes to ensure their implementation In the event an academic matter (graduate or undergraduate) results (after the appropriate college academic standards committee has heard the matter) in the need for a hearing, the three student representatives from the Academic Standards Committee and three faculty members from the Academic Standards Committee will serve on a hearing panel. Recommendations will be forwarded to the Executive Committee of the Senate for distribution to the appropriate parties, which shall include the student and the faculty member. 6.3 The Admissions Committee shall periodically review admission policies, recommending revisions to the Senate when necessary Serve as an grievance board for all students denied regular admission Review and approve applications for admission by alternate criteria. 6.4 The Campus Affairs Committee shall perform the following functions. (3/10) Design and conduct an evaluation of the President of the University as prescribed in Chapter 6, Section 14.2 of the UNLV Bylaws. Ensure that all other subordinate evaluations, as mandated by Chapter 6, Section 14.3 of the UNLV Bylaws, are completed. Act in an advisory capacity on procedural matters that pertain to the evaluation of administrators Serve in an advisory capacity in formulating a library policy in relation to the development of the resources for instruction and research. Give advice in the allocation of book funds to the library. The committee shall review the annual book budget and forward its recommendations to the university administration. Serve in an advisory capacity to the university administration in the selection of the library's chief administrator. Advise in the development of a general program of library service for all the interests of the university Represent the faculty and professional staff in an advisory role to the Information Technology Coordination Committee. Represent the faculty and professional staff in an advisory role to the Office of Information Technology. Serve as a liaison between the Senate and both the Information Technology Coordination Committee and the Office of Information Technology. Develop methods for rewarding faculty members for innovative efforts in technology. Make recommendations concerning the integration of technology across the curriculum Make recommendations on issues of general campus concern forwarded to it by the Senate Chair, Executive Committee or the Senate itself. Make recommendations on any issue affecting the campus community not specifically charged to any other Senate Committee, such as athletics, parking, preschool, and part-time instructors. Create, with the advice and consent of the Senate Chair, joint subcommittees with other Senate or university committee to make recommendations on matters of overlapping jurisdiction.

16 Page The Curriculum Committee shall perform the following functions Recommend the approval or rejection of proposed undergraduate programs of study Recommend the approval or rejection of proposed undergraduate courses of instruction Resolve conflicts arising from such curriculum matters as duplication of content or excessive overlap, or matters of course jurisdiction by requiring all parties involved to participate in mediation or arbitration with the committee serving as the mediator and/or arbitrator Monitor all proposed undergraduate curricular additions, revisions or deletions Request changes in catalog information sheets having to do with clarity and precision when such changes will help to make the catalog entries more meaningful to prospective readers Screen and review all new programs and make recommendations, regarding their priority, to the Executive Vice President and Provost, with copies to the President, after appropriate campus consultations Criteria and procedures for new program review shall be established by the committee. 6.6 The Faculty Development Leave Committee shall review applications of those persons eligible for a Faculty Development Leave and make recommendations to the President through the Executive Vice President and Provost. 6.7 The Faculty Extraordinary Expense Fund Committee shall oversee the collection and disbursement of funds collected pursuant to the purposes of this committee. 6.8 The Fiscal Affairs Committee shall perform the following functions Report to the Senate on the distribution of administrative merit Shall review present salary and fringe benefits, gather comparative data, and make recommendations for adjustments to the Senate Shall address issues of faculty reward and make recommendations to the Senate concerning faculty rewards Make recommendations on issues of general campus concern forwarded to it by the Senate Chair, Executive Committee or the Senate itself. Create, with the advice and consent

17 Page 17 of the Senate Chair, joint subcommittees with other Senate or university committee to make recommendations on matters of overlapping jurisdiction. 6.9 The General Education Committee shall periodically review policy regarding general education, recommending revisions in current policy whenever desirable. It shall also be responsible for: Ruling on exceptions to the general education requirements and if necessary, granting modifications in the core requirements sufficient to restore previously existing graduation requirements in programs, departments or colleges Reviewing content areas in the general education core, adding or deleting courses or content as necessary Monitoring the general education program to ensure appropriate implementation The Grievance Committee shall periodically review policy regarding grievances, recommending revisions in current policy whenever desirable. It shall also investigate grievances involving faculty and professional staff. The guidelines for grievance procedures are included in Appendix 3 of the Senate Bylaws The Professional Staff Committee shall perform the following functions: Improve the representation of professional staff issues to the Senate Improve the general communication within the professional staff Provide a formal body whose function is to address issues of interest to professional staff Committee members are responsible for disseminating information of interest to the professional staff and for communicating their concerns to the Senate The Program Review Committee shall have the responsibility of organizing and conducting a review of each undergraduate and graduate program In consultation with the Executive Vice President and Provost, the committee will organize a review of each existing undergraduate and graduate program at least every ten years. When possible, scheduling will coincide with program accreditation processes. New programs must be evaluated within five years of implementation The committee will submit written reports of all programs reviewed to the Faculty Senate Office, and Executive Vice President and Provost with copies to the Graduate Dean, academic unit dean or director, and to the President Criteria and procedures for evaluation shall be established by the committee.

18 Page The Sabbatical Leave Committee shall review applications of those persons eligible for a sabbatical leave and make recommendations to the President through the Executive Vice President and Provost The Scholarship Committee shall perform the following functions Be responsible for selection of all grants-in-aid and academic scholarships not specifically allocated by the Board of Regents Be involved in working with the Student Financial Services Director in establishing standards of selection by surveying the academic community for criteria of excellence and to act as a screening-selection committee where other than need is a criteria Sit as an grievance board for student athletes grieving loss of aid Act in an advisory capacity on policy matters pertaining to the Student Financial Services Special Hearing Committee shall perform the following functions: Shall serve as the faculty hearing panel as directed in NSHE Code. When notified by the administration, the Chair of the Senate is responsible for selecting by lot the committee members to serve on the Special Hearing Committee (NSHE Code Section a and b) The Tenure and Promotion Committee shall perform the following functions: Consult with the Executive Vice President and Provost to ensure comparable rigor of criteria and procedures in promotion and tenure recommendations across units. The recommendation for promotion or tenure shall move through proper faculty and administrative channels from department or school to college to the Executive Vice President and Provost, prior to being presented to the committee. Faculty members not recommended for promotion or tenure may proceed by way of the Grievance Committee The University Bylaw Committee shall have the responsibility of maintaining the university bylaws (formally Title 5, Chapter 6 in the Board of Regents Handbook) and see to their timely and accurate posting on the faculty senate website The Committee shall conduct periodic reviews of the UNLV Bylaws to ensure compliance with the Board of Regents Handbook and Regent policies The Committee shall make changes to the UNLV Bylaws that are properly approved by the majority of the voting faculty As requested, the Committee shall advise the Faculty Senate Chairperson and the Executive Committee on interpretation of the UNLV and Faculty Senate Bylaws The Committee shall review UNLV and its division s bylaws, and recommend revisions

19 Page 19 whenever desirable. It shall also serve to interpret UNLV and its division s bylaws, and recommend such interpretations to the Faculty Senate. (3/10) 6.18 All standing committees are required to establish procedures for conducting business and to keep a copy of such procedures on file in the Senate Office. Such procedures will remain in effect unless changed by the Executive Committee The Chair of the Faculty Senate, in consultation with the Executive Committee, will appoint one member with graduate-faculty standing to each existing and future Graduate College committee. The Chair of the Faculty Senate Graduate Programs Liaison Committee will be appointed by the Chair of Faculty Senate, in consultation with the Executive Committee, from members of the Faculty Senate Graduate Programs Liaison Committee. Membership will be for two years. The Chair will be a member of the Graduate Council Executive Committee. The Faculty Senate Graduate Programs Liaison Committee shall perform the following functions: Participate in Graduate College committees representing the Faculty Senate Provide a written report and present it to the Faculty Senate each semester Make recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Senate regarding general issues related to graduate programs which are forwarded to it by the Senate Chair, Executive Committee or the Senate itself Make recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Senate on any issue effecting graduate programs not specifically charged to any other Senate Committee The members of the Faculty Senate Graduate Curriculum Liaison Committee will participate in the existing Graduate Curriculum Committee of the Graduate College. The Chair of the Faculty Senate Curriculum Liaison Committee will be appointed by the Chair of Faculty Senate, in consultation with the Executive Committee, from members of the Faculty Senate Graduate Curriculum Liaison Committee. Membership will be for two years. The Faculty Senate Graduate Curriculum Liaison Committee shall perform the following functions: Participate in Graduate College Curriculum Committee representing the Faculty Senate Provide a written report to the Faculty Senate each semester Make recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Senate regarding general graduate curriculum issues which are forwarded to it by the Senate Chair, Executive Committee or the Senate itself Make recommendations to the Executive Committee of the Senate on any issue affecting the graduate curriculum not specifically charged to any other Senate Committee.

20 Page 20 Section 7.0 Article 7: The Intercollegiate Athletic Council 7.1 Consistent with the UNLV Athletic Code, the Senate shall submit nominees to the President for appointment to the Intercollegiate Athletic Council (IAC). 7.2 At the request of the President for nominees to the IAC the following procedures will be followed: a) The Senate Chair will announce a call for nominations at the first regularly scheduled Senate meeting immediately after receiving the President's request. b) At the next Senate meeting, the Senate shall nominate a slate of candidates for the IAC to be forwarded to the President for consideration. 7.3 The Senate invites the Chair of the IAC to submit regular reports and copies of minutes of council meetings to the Senate Office. Section 8.0 Article 8: Amendment of Bylaws 8.1 Amendment of these bylaws may be accomplished in the following manner: A proposed amendment must first be submitted to the Executive Committee The proposed amendment shall be circulated to all Senate members one week prior to a properly called and constituted meeting of the Senate The proposed amendment shall be discussed in the Senate meeting If the proposed amendment is approved by a majority of the voting membership of the Senate, the amendment shall not take effect for ten days. Section 9.0 Article 9: Suspension of Bylaws 9.1 Suspension of any part of these bylaws, except Articles 8 and 9 may be accomplished by the consent of two-thirds of the voting members present in a properly called and constituted meeting.

21 Page 21 Appendix 1 Faculty Senate Bylaws Guidelines for Submission of Senate Agenda Items The Executive Committee shall expect that action oriented items coming to the Senate should provide the senators with sufficient background information related to the nature of the problem involved, description and justification of causes and the relationship between the proposed change and causes to allow senators to enter into a consideration of relative merits of the proposal and a consideration of potential future problems as a result of adopting the proposed change. The Executive Committee recommends that the following guidelines be established to aid those preparing agenda items: 1) A description of what they believe to be the problem including the identification of the kind of data used to establish the existence of a problem. 2) A description of probable causes and a description of how the identified causes explain that presence of the problem. 3) The development of the content of the proposed change that is being offered as a solution including the development of its relationships with and responses to the causes identified. 4) A projection of possible problems that might arise if the proposed change were adopted. This might also require that the initiator propose contingencies to be adopted if potential problems arise.

22 Page 22 Appendix 2 Faculty Senate Bylaws Guidelines for Senior Senators Definition of the Senior Senator Section 4.5 of the Faculty Senate Constitution indicates that each unit shall have one senator designated as the "Senior Senator." The senior senator is defined as the person with the least time remaining in a current three year term. If there is more than one such person in a particular unit, the senators in question will draw lots to determine seniority. Role of the Senior Senator Elections and Nominations: According to Section 6.1 of the Faculty Senate Constitution, senior senators are responsible for conducting elections in their respective units. To this end, senior senators are responsible for knowing and following the election procedures specified in their unit bylaws and in Section 6.1 of the Faculty Senate Constitution. Communication with other Senators: The senior senator serves as the liaison between the Senate Executive Committee and the senators representing their respective units. In this role, senior senators are encouraged to meet with the other senators in their unit on a regular basis to debate issues pending in the Senate, make recommendations for Senate action, relate information from the Senate Executive Committee, and discuss any issues that may affect the Senate and those the Senate represents. Communication with Constituents: Senior senators will be asked to make arrangements to communicate with their college governing bodies. Such arrangements might include but are not limited to: 1) Serving as ex-officio members of the college executive committee; 2) Providing standing reports at college meetings; and 3) Requesting to be put on the agenda at college executive committee meetings. Senior senators will also be responsible for communicating to their constituents any Senate matters that are likely to concern them. Furthermore, any concerns about failure to communicate information to constituents received by members of the Senate Executive Committee will be forwarded to the senior senator.